Ditching-machine.



H. P. THOMAS. DITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED rBB.15, 191s.

Patented July 8, '1913.

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H. P. THOMAS. DITGHING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED 121113.15, 191s.

1,066,553. Patented July 8,1913.

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HARVE P. THOMAS, OF SUMNER, IOWA.

DITCHING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Hanvn I. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Sumner, in the county of Brewer and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Wachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in ditching machines, and relates more particularly to a machine adapted to the digging or providing oi' ditches for the laying of tiles, the primary object ot the invention being to provide a machine 'for this purpose by means of which such ditches may be easily and expeditiously made.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine ot this character novel means for conveying the excavated earth out of the ditch being dug and depositing the same out oi' the way of the path ot the machine.

Another object is to provide in a machine of this character novel means for regulating the depth of the ditch being dug as may be required or desired, and 'further to so mount and arrange the mechanism that the same may be adjusted relatively to the supporting truck as to permit oit ready transportation ot the apparatus to different points.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construen tion, combination and arrangement oi' parts as will be hereinafter more specitically described and then claimed, reference being had in such description to the accompanying drawings .illustrating an embodiment ot my invention, without, however, contning mysell to the embodiment shown, since various changes may be made in the details oit' construction and arrangement. ot parts without departing trom the general spirit oit' the invention, or the scope oit the same as claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1, a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of a ditching machine in accordance with my invention, the auger beingl shown lowered in position for operation, Fig` 2, is a top plan view ot the machine, Fig. 3, is a detail view oi the cleaning mechanism for the dirt conveyer ol the auger, and Fig. 4l, is a detail view partly in side elevation, and partly lin section, ot' a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea February 15, 1913.

Patented July 8, 1913.

serial No. 748,543.

modified -lorm ot dirt-conveying means for the auger.

A, ditching machine, in accordance with my invention, embodies a supportingl truck, an adjustable ditch -digging and dirt conveying mechanism carried thereby, and a driving means for the dirt-digging and the dirt-conveying means, together with means for causing the apparatus to travel forward along the line ot' the ditch to be dug. 'Io this end, I provide a supporting truck, herein shown as comprising a i'mir-wheeled type oit truck, embodying a frame and 'tour supporting wheels. 'lhe i'ront wheels 10, are mounted on the spindles o't the front axle 11, while the rear wheels 12 are mounted upon the spindles et stub-axles 14, which are in the nature of cranks, and have their support in the sidc-bars 15 ot' the supporting frame.

The supporting truck is adjustable both `at its 'front and at its rear ends, the adj ustments being independent oil' each other. I do not desire to confine myselit' to any specilic means ttor providing these adjustments, as obviously various well known means may be employed. For the purpose olt illustration, I have shown the lront adjustment as consisting of an ordinary screw-adjustment designated generally as 1G. Any other type oit adjusting means may be readily substituted there'tfor, all that is required being a means for elevating or lowering the 'forward end oit the supportingl truck, the loweringmovement of course being limited by the front axle.

Near the 'front end ot the supporting truck I provide a suitable mounting ior an explosive or other ilorm ot exigirle 17, herein shown as mounted on plattorni-bmirf'ls 1S secured to cross-n1emlmrs ill) attached at their ends to the side bars 115 of the supporting frame. The rear member also acts as a support tor a bearing 20, which receives the shank oi a hanger 21 having a forked or yoke-shaped lower end in which is mounted a pair oit concave-disks 22 preferably set with their torward edges ruiming close to gather and their rear edges more widely separated so as to ent away the sod and remove rubbish in the line ot the ditch to be dug. 'lhe hanger is adjustable in its bearing so as to vary the depth which the disks enter the ground as desired, and is so mounted also as to be moved out of the path of the auger when the latter is raised for transporting the device, as will more fully ap-- pear hereinafter. It willbe obvious that any preliminary trench-forming device may be substituted for the concave disks shown, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Theditch digging or forming mechanism proper is in the nature of an earth-auger 23 disposed near the rear end of the truck, and at an oblique angle with respect to therside bars of the supporting frame. At its lower end, the shaft or stem of this auger is journaled in a shoe 24, and at its upper end is journaled in a cross-bar 25, which is provided at the upper forward ends of arms 26. At the ends of the cross-bar 25,'the same is provided with bearings or sleeves 27 in which is received the cross-shaft 28 that isl mountedat its ends in the upper ends of inclined supporting bars 29, secured at their lower ends to the side-bars 15 of the supporting frame of the truck, and supported yat said upper ends by struts 30. The arms 26 are bowed rearwardly from their upper ends, and the lower portions of these arms sweep forwardly and downwardly, and the lower ends of the arms are connected, pr-eferably with a pivotal-connection, with the shoe 24.

Rising from the arms A26 at their upper ends are standards or bearings 31, 31 in which are journaled short shafts 32, 32, each of which carries on its inner end a pinion 33, and these pinions mesh with the bevel gear 34, carried on the upper end of the shaft or stem of the auger. The arms 26, also carry, at their upper portions, and directly back of the bearings 31, 31', similar bearings 35, 35; in these bearings is journaled a shaft 36 which extends beyond the bearing 35 and carries at its extended end a sprocket wheel 37, receiving a sprocket chain 38 passing over said wheel, and over a similar sprocket wheel 39 on theI outer end of shaft 32. On the outer end of shaft 32, is a sprocket wheel 40, which receives a drive chain 41 passing thereover and over a. sprocket wheel 42 on the shaft of the engine 17.

The shaft 36, together with a shaft 43, journaled in bearings 44 carried by th-e shoe 24 constitute the carrier for an endless conveyer 45, which carries the Vexcavated earth up to the top of themachine where itV discharges same into a suitably supported chute or carry olf 46 which is preferably of a form which will enable the discharging of the earth out to one side or the other of the machine, and thus out of the way. This chute orcarry-ofll I have shown largely diagrammatically, since it may be of -any desired form as may be found most convenient or desirable.

tively small amount of earth, and by utiliz- Y ing blades, I am enabled to effectually clean the conveyer as the same reaches the point of discharge. This I accomplish bymounting in the bearings V35, above the shaft 3G, a shaft 46, which carries blad-es or vanes 47 that enter the space between the blades n 45 as the latter pass over shaft 36, and

thus ettectually dislodge the dirt and discharge same into the chute or carry-oif 46. The manner in which the blades 47 are engaged by the blades 45 and the blades 47 thereby brought into cleaning action will be bestl understood by consideration of F ig. 3, of the drawings.

The purpose of providing the crank-axles 14 for the rear wheels is to enable an adjustni'ent of the rear portion of the supporting-frame, and thus regulate the depth of ditch as desired. This I accomplish by providing pulleys 48 on the aXles 14, outside the side-bars 15. Cables 49havel their rear ends connected tothese pulleys, and their forward ends connected to pulleys 50 carried on the ends of a shaft 51, journaled in bearings 52, 52, carried by the side-bars 15. The bearing 52, carri-es a segmental-rack 5,3, one or the other of the notches in which receives a spring-pressed dog carried by the adjusting lever 54, that is connected to the shaft 51. As will be obvious, with this construction, the movement of the lever 54 t'oward the forward end of the truck will cause the cables 49` to pull on crank-axles 14 so as to bodily elevate the rear of the supporting truck frame and the auger and'conveyer mechanism. The strain upon the shoe 24 and the auger is relieved and transferred to the supporting truck by angular or offset braces 55, attached at their lower ends to the arms 26, and at their upper ends to the side-bars 15, as at 56. The connection at 56 is, in practice, a readily separable one, such as a bolt, and the side rails 15 are provided with one or more supplemental openings 57, and the braces 55 with one or more supplemental openings 58, so that when the auger and conveyer are swung in the supporting frame so as to elevate the shoe above the ground level for transportation purposes, the bolt may be passed through openings 57, and 58, and thus utilize the braces 55 as the means for holding the shoe in said elevated position. The bars 15 are connected at the rear end of the frame by a cross-bar 59 readily removable so as to allow of the swinging movement of the parts to bring the shoe to elevated position.

In order to begin work, the machine is transported to the line where the ditch or `trench is to be dug, and a short stretch of ditch manually dug, sufficient to drop the auger to digging position, the same is adj usted to dig the desired depth, and the machine is then ready for operation. The ma chine is propelled forward along the line of the ditch being dug by means of a cable GO, attached at one end to a drum or reel (il on the engine shaft, and at its other end to the :forward end of the truck, or to the draft tongue, being passed around a tackle block as 62, securely anchored at a desired distance in front of the machine, thus im parting a forward motion to the whole machine when the engine is operated. lVhile the machine is being thus propelled forward, the engine also drives chain or belt 41:1, and through shaft 32, spur gear 35, and gear 3ft revolves the auger Q3. The rotation of gear 34, causes motion to be imparted to shaft 3c through the meshing of pinion with gear 531i and by means of chain or belt connection 3S with shaft 36, drives the conveyer 45.

Under some conditions, it is possible to dispense with the conveyer, since some kinds of soil will be carried up by the auger itself, and be discharged into the chute or carryott at the upper end thereof. On the other hand, in still other kinds of soil, it is sometimes desired to substitute for the endless conveyor above described, a semi-circular trough (33, as shown in Fig. 4 which is fixed up close to and underneath the auger 23 so that the auger will carry the loosened earth upward and discharge same into the spout or discharge chute tt.

Vhen the machine is to be transported, bolts 56 are removed, and with connection ett thrown citi, the mechanism is thrown rearwardly, so as to elevate the lower end of the auger and shoe, the colter 2Q, being either raised or swung out of the way, and bar 59 removed so as not to interfere with the swinging of the parts. The bolts 5G are then engaged in apertures 57, and 5S, so as to hold the lower end of the auger and the shoe in this elevated position so that the machine may be transported from place to place. The frame carrying the auger and mechanism may also be thrown backward for transportation, to permit which it may be necessary to dig under the shoe sutiicient to give it clearance.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, andy desire to secure by Letters Patent is :w

l. In a ditch digging machine, a wheeled supporting truck, a shoe suspended beneath the truck in line with the center thereof, an auger journaled at its lower end in said shoe, a cross-shaft supported above the frame of the supporting truck, and a pair of arms sleeved at their upper ends onto said shaft and at their lower ends connected to said shoe for supporting the latter and the auger.

Q. In a ditch digging machine, a wheeled supporting truck, a shoe suspended beneath the truck, an auger journaled at its lower end in said shoe, a cross shaft. supported above the truck, supporting arms sleeved at their upper ends onto the crcss shaft and at their lower ends connected to the shoe for supporting the latter and the auger, and a conveyor disposed to carry otl' the earth loosened by the auger.

3. In a ditch digging machine, a wheeled supporting truck, independent adjusting means for each end of the truck, a cross shaft supported above the frame of the supporting truck, rearwardly bowed arms sleeved at their upper ends on to said cross shaft, a connecting bar between the arms at their upper ends whereby the arms are caused to swing in unison on the cross-shaft, a shoe to which the lower ends of the arms are connected, an auger disposed at an incline in the center line of the truck and join-naled at its ends in said shoe and connecting bar respectively, driving means for the auger, a conveyor disposed to receive the earth from said anger, said conveyor carried by the arms and the shoe, and adjustable connections between the arms and the truck for providing different inclinations to the auger and conveyor.

4t. In a ditch digging machine, a wheeled supporting truck, a cross-shaft supported above tlie`frame of said truck, a pair of rearwardly-bowed arms sleeved at their upper ends to said shaft, a cross-bar connecting said arms at their upper ends, a shoe to which the lower ends ot said arms are connected, an auger journaled at its lower end in said shoe and at its upper end in said cross-bar, a conveyor' disposed to carry ott' the earth loosened by said auger, and driving means for the auger.

5. ln a ditch digging machine, a wheeled supporting truck, a cross-shaft supported above the frame of said truck, a pair of rearwardly bowed arms connected at their upper ends and at said ends sleeved onto the cross-shaft, a shoe to which the lower ends of said arms are connected, an augg-.r journaled at its lower end in said shoe and at its upper end in the connecting member of said arms, and means connecting the arms with the frame of the truck, said means ad justable to provide different inclinations to the auger.

(S. ln a ditch digging machine, a wheeled supporting truck, supporting-lmrs carried by the trame of said truck, a cross-shaft mounted in lsaid supiliorting-bars, arlns sleeved at their upper ends onto said crossshaft, a connecting member between the upper ends of said arms, a shoel to which the lower ends of said arms are pivotally-connected, an .auger journaled at its ends `in In testimony whereof I affix my Signasaid shoe and connecting member respecture in presence of two witnesses.

tively a conveyer disposed to receive the earth from said auger, and adjustable con- HARVE P' THOMAS' 5 neotions between the arms and the support- Vitnesses:

ing truck permitting adjusting the auger `to 'CARL XV. HUMMER,

different inclinations. EDWARD K. Dini-1L.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

